Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Rep. Posey's Town Hall Forum - Part Two

Rep. Posey expressed his disappointment the Department Of Defense only received a 4% budget increase this year which "Is not enough" at his recent Town Hall Forum.

In 2008 the US spent $711 Billion dollars accounting for 48% of the world's defense expenditures. Russia spent $70 Billion, and all of Europe 20%. U.S. defense spending was more than the combined total of the next 45 countries.http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2009/11/18/saupload_military_country_distribution_2008.png

Studies conducted by both the Department of Defense, Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed nearly $300 billion in cost overruns in recent years, something American taxpayers can hardly afford. Approximately four out of ten Defense acquisitions were found over budget by the GAO.

Kwai Chan, former Assistant Inspector General with the Environmental Protection Agency and former issue director in the National Security and International Affairs Division in the GAO writes in a report "The DOD does not know what it owns, where its inventory is located, or how its annual budget is being spent." http://www.truemajority.org/csba/chan_r2.pdf

Additionally 87 cases of fraud by 43 government contractors were discovered by the Project on Government Oversight following a U.S. Department of State Freedom of Information Act request. The list includes federal defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. For a complete list of Federal Contractor Misconduct Database see: http://www.contractormisconduct.org/

While I agree with the Congressman a strong Military is essential to our national security, I also believe our current Defense budget is bloated and billions of taxpayers money are being wasted.

The Congressman recommended we all google and watch the UTube video "Gumballs".

I recommend readers watch "Ben's BB's", a UTube which illustrates the number of nuclear weapons the United States currently has and the costs of maintaining them. http://www.truemajorityaction.com/bensbbs/

19 Comments:

Anonymous said...

It was a GOP love fest. Gotta love the truemajority website, that's sure to enrage the right. Question for all of you Poser lovers - has he questioned the number of pages in the pentagon budget, much less read any of it? GOP = doublespeak (double talk for all of you losers that have yet to read George Orwell's "1984")

I try ro respect Rep. Posey, but that Gumball presentation has the distinct feel of xenophobia and racism. If he's dumb enough to fall for that simplistic, biased presentation then I've lost faith in him. The world IS getting MUCH more crowded and to think that America can simply close the doors is ridiculous. I don't support illegal immigration either, but to hide behind our border (out of irrational fear, it would seem from the video) and try to keep America 'for Americans' is simply wrong. Legal immigration will have to ramp up. And we need that because our economy has changed and zero growth won't sustain us.

So, DOD spends over $700 billions? How much of that is PORK bys Senators on stuff DOD does not need nor want? Now that the cost of DOD is known, how much do we spend on WELFARE? Section 8 housing? WIC Programs? Fo0od stamps? Medical for welfare recipients? Lastly, our DOD gives the nation security and abilty to respond to emergencies - they protect our liberties and freedom. What do the welfare recipients contribute???

Democrats LOVE Defense spending bills because that's the easiest way to stuff their pork projects, because they know they can easily throw bribes out as bait. I don't know what data the chart above is based on, but defense spending is less than 1/6 of the federal budget for FY 2010. Government pensions, health care, and welfare triple the money spent on defense, even with the pork. As for another important and REAL public good, transportation, the amount in the budget is miniscule. Looks like Congressman Posey is right.

Your data was compiled by Christopher Chantrill, conservative blogger and member of the international capitalist conspiracy.http://www.christopherchantrill.com/

The Federal Discretionary Budget Pie:The names on the categories of TrueMajoritys discretionary budget pie are derived from the discretionary budget figures produced by National Priorities Project

[1] Budget of the United States, Fiscal Year 2008, Analytical Perspectives, Supplemental Materials. Table 27-1, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2008/pdf/ap_cd_rom/27_1.pdf. See also: National Priorities Project: http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=277&Itemid=107. An additional $142 billion is proposed to be spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. For an explanation of how BLSP combined NPP?s budget categories to produce BLSP?s budget categories, email your request to jason@causecommunications.com. See also: Arms Control Association: Arms Control Center: http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/. [2] Budget of the United States, Fiscal Year 2008, Analytical Perspectives, Supplemental Materials, Table 27-1, p. 1. (This figure includes $481 billion for Department of Defense and $23 billion for nuclear weapons maintained by the Department of Energy but does not include $142 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.) http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2008/pdf/ap_cd_rom/27_1.pdf. Also see http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/.

And Vicki, The National Priorities Project is widely known and identified as "liberal" and "progressive." Fair is fair. I googled "2010 US government spending" and that came up first. I also find it interesting that you are presenting and providing links to 2008 numbers. I've searched and searched for an OMB pie chart for 2010 on budget.gov and whitehouse.gov, couldn't find one. However, I found one on Wikipedia, take from that what you will (I don't like using wiki but this is the only straightforward example I could find). They do a pretty good job of self-policing the site and you can't argue it's partisan. They closely reflect my budget projections.

Its also funny that you only include discretionary spending. If you include mandatory spending (Social Security, pensions, health care, debt interest, etc.), the percentage of defense spending has constantly been around or below 20 percent of the TOTAL budget. Defense spending hasn't had that big a space on the pie since John F. Kennedy.

You said: "Your data was compiled by Christopher Chantrill, conservative blogger and member of the international capitalist conspiracy"

International capitalist conspiracy? I must ask you the obvious questions. Do you not support and believe in capitalism? If you are not a capitalist then it is only fair that you let the readers know what economic system you are a believer in. Do you believe in Marxist Communism? National Socialism? Mercantilism? I will be waiting patiently for your reply.

Charles beat me to it, the pie chart Vicki cites is useless. When discussing the budget, if you don't address the unsustainability of mandatory spending on social services, you're just whistling past the grave yard.

However, since Vicki believes we should start tightening our fiscal belt with cuts in defense, I'm wondering how that idea strikes our Union friends who work at CCAFS and Patrick AFB.

I love how all these libs want to point to the military fraud. How about the fraud in their own back yard. Why aren't they opening the books at the Federal reserve or the Department of Education ? I'll tell you why, because our military is easy pickens. These same elected types who insist on the services tightening their belts are busy wasting trillions on all manner of pet project and political favor. I have news for you Mr. and Mrs. General Public, the vast majority of the military budget goes into people programs...training, housing, facilities, etc.. When you dump on the military budget you dump on those GIs that you claim to "support".

There's nothing wrong with CapitalismThere's nothing wrong with free enterpriseDon't try to make me feel guiltyI'm so tired of hearing you cryThere's nothing wrong with making some profitIf you ask me I'll say it's just fineThere's nothing wrong with wanting to live niceI'm so tired of hearing you whineAbout the revolutionBringin' down the richWhen was the last time you dug a ditch, baby!If it ain't one thingThen it's the otherAny cause that crosses your pathYour heart bleeds for anyone's brotherI've got to tell you you're a pain in the assYou criticize with plenty of vigorYou rationalize everything that you doWith catchy phrases and heavy quotationsAnd everybody is crazy but youYou're just a middle class, socialist bratFrom a suburban family and you never really had to workAnd you tell me that we've got to get backTo the struggling masses whoever they areYou talk, talk, talk about suffering and painYour mouth is bigger than your entire brainWhat the hell do you know about suffering and pain . . .There's nothing wrong with CapitalismThere's nothing wrong with CapitalismThere's nothing wrong with CapitalismThere's nothing wrong with Capitalism!!!!!!

This Country is run on Bribes and Payoffs to our Politicians, and the Defense Industries give major amounts of money to the Politicians Campaigns! I cannot believe we are so stupid as to spent eight times as much on Defense than we spend on Education, no wonder there are so many Idiots here!!!

The link between capitalism and the military.....simple: we pour government money (military budget) into the war machine industries which run amok over Brevard County (sadly, I'm a share holder, so I'll go schizo here).

So what we have here is War for Profit.

So connecting your dots:

There's nothing wrong with War for ProfitThere's nothing wrong with War for ProfitThere's nothing wrong with War for ProfitThere's nothing wrong with War for Profit!!!!

I get it! Thank you for enlightening us all. (maybe I'll get a dividend on my stocks!)

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Welcome to Opinion Matters, a blog that contains postings from members of Florida Today's editorial board, the newspaper's Citizens Advisory Panel and others in our community.
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John J. GlischJohn J. Glisch is Florida Today's editorial page editor who has covered local, state and national politics throughout his 33-year journalism career. He lives in Cocoa Beach.

Vanessa BadenVanessa Baden served on the executive committee of the Florida NAACP, works for Project Response and is a graduate of Florida State University and Trinity International University. A history teacher at Space Coast Jr./Sr. High, she lives in Satellite Beach.

Jamesha CoxJamesha Cox is a political science student at Brevard Community College. A graduate of Cocoa High, she lives in Cocoa.

Ted Hartselle Ted Hartselle is an engineer at Kennedy Space Center and member of the Brevard County Republican Party Executive Committee. He lives in Rockledge.

Vicki ImpocoImpoco is a registered nurse, member of the Peace Coalition of Brevard and Democrat Party activist. She lives in Satellite Beach.

Brittany Johnson Brittany Johnson is a marketing and advertising student at Brevard Community College. An avid runner, she lives in Melbourne.

Mike JordanMike Jordan is a former director of international marketing for IBM in Asia and Europe and wrote a column for The Oak Hill Gazette in Austin, Tex. He lives in Melbourne.

Lynne GraceLynne Grace is a clinical social worker and therapist with a focus on abused women and children. She lives in Rockledge.

James MarshallJames Marshall is a financial planner active in Republican Party politics, including president of the Republican Men's Club of Brevard. He lives in Palm Bay.

Fernando RendonRendon is an Air Force veteran who is a business agent for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 606. He lives in Melbourne.

Lisa RiveroRivero is president and safe school coordinator for the Brevard chapter of PFLAG: Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays. She lives in West Melbourne.

Charles SteenSteen is a political science and communication graduate from Florida State University. He is active in the Brevard Republican Executive Committee and Brevard County Young Republicans. He lives in Melbourne.

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Paige Studer is community relations and marketing director for No Limits Academy, a school that teaches physically disabled children. She lives in Palm Bay.

Tyler Winik Tyler Winik is a University of Central Florida student and consults on policy for campaigns and Space Coast legislative initiatives. He's active in Democratic Party politics and was a delegate to the 2009 Florida Democratic Party Convention. Winik lives in Titusville.

Brian WilkinsBrian Wilkins is a software engineer, Iraq war veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star. A graduate of Rocklege High and Florida Tech, he lives in Rockledge.

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